Expanding Capacity with Colleen Kavanagh, CEO of Zego Foods

Colleen Kavanagh, CEO of Zego, shares how she’s leveraging a $3 Million USDA grant to expand Zego’s capacity and enhance the U.S. gluten-free grain supply chain through the acquisition of a processing facility. She talks about the importance of listening to farmers, explains why Montana oats are the cream of the crop, and shares how she’s helping build the future of purity verified and nutrient dense foods. Discover how her inclusive approach supports U.S. farmers, reduces costs for brands, and promotes a better food future for all.Key Topics:Zego Foods and CIVC Montana’s acquisition of a processing facility in MontanaThe expanded capacity and cost reduction for her brand, Zego FoodsHow she’s helping other brands save up to a $1 their retail priceThe importance of listening to farmers and customers before defining services, pricing, and processesSecuring and then re-securing the $3M USDA grants for expansionSupporting U.S. farmers and brands in gluten-free grain processingHow Colleen is using AI to be more confident and efficient in her businessHow the new business model helps Zego Foods lean into its missionZego’s Purity Verified commitment and expansionPartnering with Edacious to measure nutrient density of regenerative grainsSound bites:“If we can decrease a brand’s cost by say 25 cents at the mill between co-packing and milling, that saves them a dollar on price point on the shelf.”“We have developed a new way of pricing organic grain so that it is a lower price add-on compared to conventional to really encourage brands to go organic.” “The rug was ripped out from underneath us. So by providing that transparency into what was happening with us on the ground and what it meant for other people, it gave people like OTA and CCOF the information that they needed to then go and tell those stories on our behalf in DC.”“Hulless oats are higher in protein and fiber and iron. Those oats only like to grow in arid climates. So Montana is perfect. We're high, we're dry. We have the right growing season.”“Vertically integrating has been fascinating and I have learned so much by listening. I came into this not knowing very much about farming, milling, equipment, or B2B sales for that matter.”“I just listened to their problems. And that's how I got to learn more and more about just how challenging it is, what we're asking them to do and what we really need to do to support their business if we want them to support ours.”“Zego Foods at its heart is 51 % for-profit company and 49 % advocacy organization.”“We test for about 500 different pesticides, and for mycotoxins, gluten allergens and the big four heavy metals. All of that is traceable.”Chapters:03:00 Introduction and Guest Background05:51 Winning the USDA Grant for Grain Expansion09:16 Challenges of Growing Gluten-Free and Organic Crops12:29 Lower Margins and Volume Strategies15:40 Implementing Vertical Integration in Grain Supply20:51 Supporting Farmers and Building Relationships24:27 Dealing with Weather and Supply Risks33:11 Montana Oats and Impact of Growing Conditions37:01 Working in Harmony with Nature46:06 Future of Purity Verification and Industry Data53:38 Favorite Snacks and Food Innovations54:03 Life-Changing Books and Learning61:40 What a Better World Means to Colleen01:03:28 Closing Remarks and Final ThoughtsLinks:Colleen Kavanagh on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zegofoods/Zego Foods - https://zegofoods.comZego Foods on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/zego/Zego Foods on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ZEGOFoods/Zego Foods on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/zegofoods/Zego Foods on X - https://x.com/ZegoFoodsZego Foods on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9caEodIwrGchJ8wsSZ4UdA…Uncommon Business, Automate to Accelerate Program - https://theuncommonbusiness.co/Edacious, Nutrient Density and Toxicity Testing - https://www.edacious.com/……Brands for a Better World Episode Archive - http://brandsforabetterworld.com/Brands for a Better World on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-for-a-better-world/Modern Species - https://modernspecies.com/Modern Species on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-species/Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagemitchell/…Print Magazine Design Podcasts - https://www.printmag.com/categories/printcast/…Heritage Radio Network - https://heritageradionetwork.org/Heritage Radio Network on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/heritage-radio-network/posts/Heritage Radio Network on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeritageRadioNetworkHeritage Radio Network on X - https://x.com/Heritage_RadioHeritage Radio Network on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritage_radio/Heritage Radio Network on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritage_radio…The Food Institute - https://foodinstitute.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.